U.S. plotting invasion, Venezuela's Chavez says

Washington wants to take control of oil reserves, leader tells BBC radio

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, left, addresses businessmen at France's main employers’ organization, in Paris, on Thursday. He is seated next to Manuel Gomez, a representative of the organization. While in France, he told the BBC that the U.S. is planning to invade his country.

LONDON — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez believes the United States is planning to invade his country and has evidence to prove it, he said in an interview with British radio broadcast Thursday. Chavez said the invasion would never be allowed to happen.

“We have detected with intelligence reports plans of a supposed invasion, one that would never happen. But we have to denounce it,” the Venezualan leader told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Chavez, a frequent Bush administration critic, said he believed the reason the U.S. was plotting was to take control of Venezuela’s oil reserves.

“A coup happened in Venezuela that was prepared by the U.S. What do they want? Our oil, as they did in Iraq,” Chavez said referring to a failed coup attempt in 2002, which he blames on the United States. The Bush administration denies the allegation.

Chavez, who was interviewed by a BBC reporter in Paris while on an official visit to France, accused Washington of fostering terrorism.

“It is an imperialist government, one that says it fights against terrorism but protects it. The U.S. throws stones to Latin America,” Chavez said.